Yale Press Bars Muhammad Images in Book on Cartoon Controversy

Submitted by Doug Lederman on August 13, 2009 - 3:00am

Yale University Press will this fall be publishing a book, The Cartoons That Shook The World,[1] about the furor that followed a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons making fun of Muhammad. But The New York Times[2] reported that the book will not feature any of the cartoons themselves, or other images of Muhammad, including ones that are historic and have been widely featured elsewhere. The Times said that Yale brought together a special panel to consider the use of the images -- and that the press agreed with the recommendation not to include these illustrations. John Donatich, the director of Yale University Press, told the Times that he has always defended controversial work, but that the cartoons and other images could be described in words. One religion scholar, angered by the decision, has withdrawn a blurb for the book. Jytte Klausen, a professor of politics at Brandeis University who wrote the book, questioned Yale's decision, telling the Times: "Muslim friends, leaders and activists thought that the incident was misunderstood, so the cartoons needed to be reprinted so we could have a discussion about it.”